2021 marks the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party of China. Turn over the turbulent chapter in Chinese history, a hundred years ago, the party's dream set sail on a red boat in Nanhu Lake of Jiaxing, Zhejiang province. Through the unremitting efforts of the whole party and the people of all ethnic groups in China, the Communist Party of China has grown into a century-old party in its prime.
Recall the past years, see today’s prosperity, and look forward to the future. In May, let’s explore the red marks and recall the past red years in the beautiful early summer. Our first stop will be Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao in Tianjin. Let's go! Take Subway Line 3 to the Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao Station (Exit B), and you will arrive at the gate of the memorial hall. No tickets required, and entrance is permitted with your ID card.
Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao is located in the Tianjin Water Park, which is a picturesque garden-style memorial hall for great men.
There are three floors in the main building, and the layout is I-shaped. The style of roof combines tradition with modernity, and granite is inlaid on the eaves, which is simple and elegant.
Outside the memorial hall, on the memorial square, there is the giant granite statue, the pavilion, the memorial forest, lawn and flowers, setting off with the main building. The environment is elegant and the atmosphere is solemn. The memorial hall contains abundant collections, and cultural relics here are valuable.
Once entering the hall, there is a statue of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao. It is surrounded by clusters of flowers, which is full of people's admiration and blessings for this couple.
Next to the statue are records of Zhou Enlai's excellent marks at school. Zhou Enlai was born in 1898. He came to Tianjin with his uncle at the age of 15, and studied liberal arts in Nankai University when he was 21.
On September 16, 1919, under the lead of Zhou Enlai, 20 core members of Tianjin Student Union and Patriotic Comrades' Association of Women's Circle set up the Awakening Society, aiming to break the boundaries between men and women, establishing a unified organization, and strengthening the force of struggle. 21-year-old Zhou Enlai and 15-year-old Deng Yingchao met here. They met, got acquainted and fell in love with each other in Tianjin, and finally embarked on the revolutionary road together.
The exhibition halls of the memorial are made of five different halls. On the front wall of one hall stands the white marble statue of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, with the large tapestry as the background. Relief walls on both sides are engraved with historic pictures such as the May Fourth Movement, Nanchang Uprising, the Long March of the Red Army, Xi 'an Incident, Founding ceremony of PRC and the construction of the motherland.
The second floor mainly introduces Mrs. Deng Yingchao. She was a pioneer of the Women's Movement of China in the 20th century. At that time, people were still enchanted by unenlighted concepts and bad habits. She called on the majority of women to wake up and innovate, realizing that they were first and foremost a "person", an independent individual, and dared to break the shackles of feudal ethics to get a new life. In addition, Deng Yingchao thought that there were many social problems that needed to be solved urgently, such as the old economic system and women's education mechanism, which reflected her preliminary thinking on the root causes of women's problems.
In this wedding photo of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao which was taken on August 8th, 1925, we can see Deng Yingchao nestled in Zhou Enlai's arms, with a happy smile on her face. Every time Zhou Bingde (82 years old this year) comes here, she always stops in front of this photo and feels the happiness of her uncle and aunt: "My aunt once told me that when they got married in the 1920s, men and women were supposed to keep distance and could not touch each other. When people at that time walked on the road, men walked in front, women followed, and they couldn't even hold hands. This photo was a revolution. At that time, there was no such photo.”
During Zhou Enlai's stay in Europe, Deng Yingchao suddenly received a postcard from France with portraits of Karl Liebknech and Rosa Luxemburg. According to Zhou Bingde, Zhou Enlai's niece, this is actually a courtship letter: "This postcard is a famous oil painting with two revolutionaries about to go to the gallows. My uncle wrote a sentence on the back of the postcard: May both of us go to the guillotine together like the two of them in the future.” Deng Yingchao replied Zhou Enlai very clearly: "We share the same thoughts and hearts, and we are willing to stay together and work together for the communist ideal for life!". The love between Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao began in this way. It is a true love with common ideals.
From the time of taking this trendy and fashionable wedding photo, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao became faithful revolutionary partners. They experienced the pain of losing their child under the White Terror; walked through the Long March of 25,000 miles together... No matter what difficulties and obstacles they experienced, their feelings remained unchanged. They loved each other, understood and supported each other, and worked hand in hand for the liberation of the Chinese people for more than half a century.
Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao preserves an urn made of Nanmu and carved with pines and cranes. It seems ordinary, but it has a very extraordinary experience, because it has held the ashes of two great men, Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao. On January 8, 1976, the beloved Premier Zhou Enlai left us forever, and according to Premier Zhou's last wish, the remains were dissected and cremated, and ashes were scattered.
In the late 1960s, he said at a meeting of the State Council: "Why do people have to keep ashes after death? It can be used as fertilizer in the ground, as feed for fish in water. In this way, the remains not only do not waste an inch of land resources, but can also make some contributions." Therefore, he and Deng agreed and promised each other that they would not keep the ashes after death and scatter them to the rivers and lands of the motherland.
On the afternoon of January 8, 1976, entrusted by Mrs. Deng, the guards of Premier Zhou went to Babaoshan to buy a cinerary casket for Premier Zhou. How to select it? Deng said no expensive one, and it should not exceed the standard of ministry leaders who passed away before. Therefore, the staff took out two kinds for them to choose, and they chose the one with a better pattern. After careful examination, they found that there was the paint peeled off, so the staff brought another same one. This one looked good in appearance, but the lid of the box didn’t open very well. There were only two of this kind. After consulting with the comrades in the funeral service office, they chose the second one. This is an extremely common cinerary casket, which was not specially made for Premier Zhou.
After the two guards came back, they reported what had happened to Deng and asked her to have a look. Mrs. Deng took the appearance and quality of cinerary casket very lightly. She said: "No, I'll entrust it to you. Cinerary casket is just a form, so there is no need to pay much attention to it." She also said: "After Enlai uses it, take the box home and keep it. When I die, I will also use this urn." On the afternoon of January 15th, after the memorial service, Deng walked into the Taiwan Province Hall of the Great Hall of the People, where Premier Zhou's ashes had been placed. She opened the urn, lifted the ashes with trembling hands, tears in her eyes, and said slowly: "Enlai, your wish has come true, may you rest in peace!" On that night, a small agricultural plane scattered Premier Zhou's ashes on the rivers and lands of the motherland.
After that, the Chinese Revolution Museum collected the cinerary casket as a cultural relic. After Deng learned, she said again: "I will use this urn after I die." So she sent staff to get it back. Mrs. Deng kept this urn carefully. Every year in Tomb-Sweeping Day, she always took it out, wiped it with her own hands, and dried it in order to pin her thoughts on Premier Zhou.
On July 11th, 1992, Mrs. Deng also left us quietly. According to her wishes, the staff brought her ashes in this urn to Tianjin. Her ashes, accompanied by colorful petals, were scattered into the flowing Haihe River and the vast sea. The coast of Haihe River is the place where Premier Zhou and Sister Deng knew each other and fell in love. Therefore, they chose Haihe River as their final destination.
Zhou and Deng devoted their whole life to the revolution, the happy life of the people, and the great dream of socialism. There is nothing left behind except this urn, which is extremely touching and making people burst into tears. We understand that what Premier Zhou and Mrs. Deng left us is not only an urn, but a great spirit.
Every year, during the Tomb-Sweeping Day, the May Fourth Youth Day, July 1st and the summer and winter holidays, many youngsters, departments, organizations and even international guests visit Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao to study and recall the revolutionary leaders. Units often organize party members and league members to come here to carry out theme party-day and league-day activities, review history, and look forward to the future.
Tianjin is the second hometown that Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao always cared for. Nowadays, precious exhibits that record and show Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao's glorious life and deep affection are displayed in Memorial to Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao. It is also the only memorial hall built for two politicians as well as a couple in the world. Knowing the stories of Zhou Enlai and Deng Yingchao, visitors definitely have deeply felt the initial aspiration, story and mission imprinted in the red mark.
